NTPC commences work on 750 MW Bongaigaon thermal power plant

The country's largest thermal power company, National thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), has commenced work on th 750 MW (3x 250 Mw) Bongaigaon thermal power project in Assam. This power plant is NTPC's first investment in the north east, for which the foundation stone had been laid in January 2006 by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

The Bongaigaon project will use a mix of coal from Eastern Coalfields and the Margherita fields in Assam. the calorific value of Assam coal is almost double that of coal in the rest of the country. Assam coal is of the high-sulphur variety with 4 - 5 per cent sulphur content, but with a low-ash content of 18 per cent to 20 per cent, unlike the coal from the rest of the country which has very low-sulphur but high-ash content.

For the first time, flue gas desulphurisation technology from BHEL will be used to control the emission of sulphur dioxide. The additional investment on account of this technology is estimated at about Rs50 lakhs per MW. The total investment in the Bongaigaon project is around Rs4,400 crore and the levellised tariff is around Rs2.98 per kwh. The project has been accorded ''mega power project'' status and the transmission system will be developed by Power Grid Corporation.

The first 250 MW is expected to be commissioned in February 2011, the second 250 MW in April / May 2011 and the third 250 MW in June / July 2011. NTPC is taking all steps to ensure maximum local employment and also meet the health and educational needs of local communities as identified by the Bodo Territorial Council.

Present at the ceremony to inaugurate the civil construction at the plant, Jairam Ramesh  said that NTPC would adopt the ITI at Bongaigaon and Kokrajhar to impart skill training to local youth. He appreciated the great need to protect local biodiversity resources as well since the region in which the power project is located is very rich in these resources.

Ramesh also announced that if the governments of Assam and Meghalaya, which have been given a coal linkage in the Mandakini coal block in Orissa, want NTPC as a joint venture partner to establish a power project in these states, NTPC would give their proposal the most serious consideration.